Help a clueless gardener - can I move my plants?

[shinynewusername]

I know nothing about gardening but have gradually created an OK garden through trial and error (and the incredible resilience of mother nature ). Now we're moving and I'd love to take a few of the plants with me. I know this has to be agreed with the vendor - the house has been sold to a builder who's adding a large extension which will change the garden anyway, so I doubt he'll object and I won't be spoiling the garden for the next owners. But I don't want to move the plants if it's going to kill them.

The plants I'd really like to take are some roses, peonies, lavender and a bay tree. Is this a stupid idea?

No it's not a stupid idea. If you are moving this summer, I would buy some decent size pots and lift them now before they get too far ahead. If you are not moving until Autumn then Leave them In the ground until then.

The night before you are are going to dig them up give them a really good soak. Next morning give them another drink. Use good quality Compost and replant them i to the pots. Keep them out of full sun. I would sacrifice the flowers for this year and prune them. It is quite stressful for a plant to be moved this time of year so it needs to put its energy into its roots rather than producing flowers. This is a good time to cut back anyway, it is called the 'Chelsea Chop'. Don't be tempted to feed them while they are in the pots.

Once you move you can either leave them in the pots or plant them straight away. If you plant them straight into the soil then spread some Fish Blood and Bone or any gereral fertiliser into the soil. Except for the lavenders.

Also do it on a cool morning.

Thanks!

Apparently, though I have never done it, it is quite easy to take cuttings from rose trees. This might be a useful thing to do in case the digging up doesn't work, keep the cuttings in a pot and take them with you. I might try to take cuttings off the lavender as well, though it is not really cuttings season for either.I moved a peony once, it went into a huff and died, but that could have been my fault.

I think peonies are the most difficult to move. I have never had any success with even getting them to flower, so I have given up now.

I have a peony and also a tree peony that a friend brought me from her garden 5 years ago. I'm not much of a gardener but they have survived and flourished , though I had to wait till this year for the tree one to bloom. The peony got left in its pot and it loves it there.

I've been told that moving peonies sends them back in infancy and it takes a few years for them to gain the maturity to bloom again.

Never the less, I would do exactly tha you suggest and keep as much plants as possible.

We've split a few of our peonies, but only while they were dormant. The smaller parts that were moved have taken a while to get going and not yet flowered (second season since move) but seem fairly healthy.